Yamaha YZF-R6 test ride in Chiba (Japan)

Yamaha R6 Chiba 9

Today, I rented a Yamaha YZF-R6 using My Garage Club (Rental 819). I was riding about 250 km around Chiba, close to Tokyo.

It was the first time for me to ride such kind of Japanese supersport motorcycle. Usually I ride naked motorcycles, but this time I wanted to try something different. Japanese supersports are well known for their power, thanks to the 4 cylinders in-line engines which ensure high power at high engine revs. I want to share my riding impressions with you.

First of all, Chiba is a small peninsula located on the East side of Tokyo. The fastest and easiest way to access it from Tokyo and Kawasaki is by using the Aqualine, a highway which goes under the sea and goes out pretty close to Chiba, on an artifical island called Umi-Hotaru.

Yamaha R6 Chiba 7The view from Umi-Hotaru was very nice, and I could even rest a bit and have a coffee. The picture above shows the panorama looking in Tokyo/Kawasaki direction. Very nice, I reccomend it. After riding a bit in Chiba, we arrived to the following place, it is located in the center/east side of Chiba.

Yamaha R6 Chiba 2 Yamaha R6 Chiba 3Then, we proceeded the ride and, on the west side of Chiba, we found out some funny guys riding Honda Monkey/Ape.

Yamaha R6 Chiba 5 Yamaha R6 Chiba 4On the west side on Chiba, we saw the place shown in the picture above. Unfortunately I forgot the name, but the shape of the rocks is pretty cool, isn't it?

Yamaha R6 Chiba 8Finally, I show you a picture of the Yamaha YZF-R6 that I rented. The one in the picture is the MY2016. I really like the design of this motorcycle, but I have to say that, from design point of view, I prefer Ducati, because they are more slim, due to the lower width required by the L-shape twin engine. Japanese 4-cylinders engine are wider than L ones, and for this reason also the motorcycles tend to be wider. But, who cares, the design of this Yamaha is still absolutely cool, it seems so sporty and fast just by looking at it. And after you read the technical data, you can be sure of it.

It is fast, indeed. Having more than 110 horse power, for a weight of less than 190kg, this motorcycle can really accelerate fast whenever you want, you just need to open the gas a bit and the torque is there (however, if you want really much, you need to rev-it up more than 8000 rpm...). And also, the 2 discs brakes on the front are strong and precise: when pushing a bit the front brake, you suddenly feel the motorcycle reducing the speed. If you are not so tall, like me, you will definitely love this motorcycle, because it is quite small, and short, so the rideability is very good especially in the curves.

Regarding the suspensions and the clutch, I was a bit disappointed. Of course, you cannot expect soft suspensions from such kind of motorcycle, but I found that the suspensions were way too rigid. And also, the clutch was pretty hard to pull. Definitely, I don't recommend this motorcycle for everyday usage in the traffic or for rough asphalt. Moreover, forget it if you want to take your girlfriend for a ride. She will hate you, after seating on that "seat" (honestly, I should not even call that a seat) for more than 20 km.

So, summarizing, this motorcycle is the best choice for you if you want to be fast, you ride alone, and you want to go sometimes to the circuit, have fun, and you are probably single looking to catch some girls. But for everyday usage, or riding with another person on your back, I definitely suggest you to go for a naked or touring motorcycle.

Author: Davide Cavaliere

I am an Italian Electrical Engineer graduated at Politecnico di Milano. My interests are motorcycles and cars, electronics, programming, Internet of Things, and Japanese culture.

2 thoughts on “Yamaha YZF-R6 test ride in Chiba (Japan)”

  1. Hi,
    Yamaha R6 is a fantastic bike ! I am sure it is probably a pleasure to ride in this beautiful country.
    I would like to send you a message about your fuelino project. But I didn't find your email address in your website.
    Can you explain me how to do ?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *